Naga is distracted as the Kyurangers battle embiggened Tsuyoindaver and Moraimarz. Tsurugi tells whoever is in charge of the left leg to stop slacking. Naga snaps out of his stupor and starts moving erratically. Tsurugi decides to bench Naga and orders KyutamaJin to separate into their three base formations.

Naga has no choice but to just watch as the others take care of business. Vice Shogun Akyanba sees him and decides to use him to cause trouble among the Kyurangers.

Back on the Orion, Naga apologizes for earlier. But he expresses his frustration with not having been able to obtain any emotions yet after all the time he’s been here. Balance tells him to just take his time and he’ll be fine.

Balance updates the Kyurangers on his progress in using the Tokei Kyutama to turn the Orion into a time machine.

Garu is looking forward to go back in time to defeat Don Armage. But Tsurugi says it’s not that simple because of the butterfly effect. All they’re going to do is to check if Don Armage was really defeated back then.

Commander Ronpo says since it’ll be a while before the Orion is ready to go, they should have some fun time. Hammie suggests a barbecue. Everyone loves the idea. But Naga says he will stay and help Balance with the Tokei work. Balance says he’ll be fine and Naga should go have a good time with everyone else.

Down at the park after a little toast, Spada asks Naga if he’s enjoying himself. Naga says without emotions, he can’t even properly smile. Hammie comes up to him and squeezes his cheeks. She says things aren’t working out because Naga is too attached to Balance. She suggests Naga think for himself and take up his own challenges.

Suddenly, Akyanba and two Tsuyoindavers arrive at the park. Akyanba sends a wave at the others picnic-goers to release their inner emotions. They all suddenly go crazy with various feelings.

While the others go evacuate the civilians, Lucky, Tsurugi, Hammie, Spada and Naga stay behind. They henshin and take on Akyanba and the Tsuyoindavers, but they don’t seem to be any match for the Jark Matter arrivals.

Akyanba corners Naga and tells him she knows he has a lot of dormant emotions inside of him. She offers to help him release those emotions. The others come to help Naga and they drive Akyanba away. She repeats her offer to Naga before disappearing.

Later, Hammie approaches Naga, knowing he is deep in thought by Akyanba’s offer. Lucky, Tsurugi and Spada fill the others in on what happened. Tsurugi says what Akyanba says might not be a lie. He knows the people of the Ophiuchus System once had violent emotions, but gave up emotions and individuality to have peace in their world. However, if Akyanba were to draw out Naga’s emotions, they will lose the current Naga.

Naga has given Hammie the same history lesson. You aren’t seriously considering taking her up on her offer, Hammie asks. Naga doesn’t say anything.

Hammie says that’s too dangerous. But Naga says has always wanted emotions. He wants to laugh and cry along with everyone else. That’s why he became a Kyuranger.

“That’s not the only reason!” Hammie says. But Naga insists he will find Akyanba. She tries to stop him, but he uses his snake eye power to paralyze her. He apologizes before he shoots her, but reminds her that she told him to think for himself.

Hammie calls the others to tell them about Naga. But Commander Ronpo calls in to tell them about the rampaging people from Akyanba’s emotional attack. The Kyurangers decide to split up to find Naga and to control the rampaging people.

Balance comes in to the bridge after collecting some tools he needs. But Commander Ronpo doesn’t tell him anything about what’s happening to Naga.

Kotaro uses the Kaminoke Kyutama to give people new hairstyles, Raptor uses Koto Kyutama to make people dance and Champ uses Ohitsuji Kyutama to make people fall asleep.

Back in the forest, Naga has found Akyanba and agrees to her offer. She excitedly draws out laughingNaga, cryingNaga and angryNaga and reinserts them (and a sh-tload of snakes) into Naga’s person.

Lucky, Hammie, Spada, Tsurugi and Stinger find Naga with Akyanba. Lucky tells Naga not to be seduced by Akyanba and warns he will lose himself. Akyanba twists it around and points out to Naga that his friends don’t want him to regain his emotions. Naga says that if he regains his emotions, it’ll make Balance happy.

Hammie says this isn’t the way to do it. Naga again reminds Hammie of what she told him to do earlier.

Tsurugi warns Naga that they will have to fight him if he continues with this. Naga says he will not let anyone get in the way of his emotions. Akyanba takes that as an official go-ahead sign. She transforms Naga.

The others can’t believe it.

Naga says he feels so happy now that he can legit feel emotions in his body. He pulls out a Dark Kyutama and dark morphs to Hebitsukai Metal.

“How dare you get in the way of me and my emotions!” Naga shoots at his former friends. They morph and the battle begins.

But the battle turns into Naga absolutely ravaging the five Kyurangers using some incredible and immense power.

Akyanba and Naga leave together, laughing. The two Tsuyoindavers take over the fight, but the Kyurangers easily take care of them.

Back on the Orion, the Kyurangers break the news to Balance. Hammie feels guilty, but Balance says it’s alright. Anyway, he’s got the Tokei Kyutama all plugged into the Orion and ready to go. Commander Ronpo tells Balance that he doesn’t have to put on an act.

Balance decides to ask if he can stay behind in the present instead so he can try and save Naga. Commander Ronpo sees no problem with that. Lucky, Hammie, Garu and Kotaro also step up to stay behind and help save Naga. Commander Ronpo, Tsurugi, Spada, Champ, Stinger and Raptor then will go back in time.

“Even if we are separated, our hearts are one. Never forget that.”

The #SaveNaga team watches as the others in Orion fly off into the past.

Episode Thoughts

As always, when the mecha battle is at the top of the episode, you know sh-t’s about to go down. lol

I definitely enjoyed this episode. Not only does it serve to give Naga his own little arc and help develop the backstory we already know of him, it launches us into the Akyanba arc as well. Which I hope lasts a while if only to have Arisa Komiya part of show longer too. Hee.

Akyanba seems like fun. Love that little pose she does randomly. lol I kinda hope she and Madakko run into each other in the future. Especially as Madakko is now at fangirl-level of regression. lol

I definitely like where they’re going with Naga’s story. They’ve definitely made his yearning for emotions his “thing” in the first half of the season. Most of time it is played up for comic effect. But it also reminded us of not only it being a personality trait, but connected specifically to his world and his people. Exploring Kyurangers’ planets and their people is something I hope the others get to do in the future.

Anyway, DarkNaga just laying waste to the others was insane. That was one of the craziest action and (CGI?) Koichisplosion sequences I’ve seen in a long time. The music was amazing. The emotions (!) from Naga and especially the Kyurangers reacting to their friend falling prey to Akyanba were amazing. I wish the scene went on longer.

I liked Hammie being the one who tells Naga to make his own decisions, think for himself. Coming from her, you know it is sincere. Her advice wasn’t because she was annoyed by Naga or anything. You know she had good intentions and sincerely just wanted to help Naga. So it makes it all the more surprising and heartbreaking for her and the team when Naga uses those sincere words to justify what we can believe is the wrong decision.

The last scene where the Kyurangers are all visibly concerned and worried for Naga, wanting to stay behind to save him but also acknowledging their important mission. Just a perfect example of how great this team is. They really are a team and have become a family. I definitely hope to see more of that drawn upon during this 2nd half of the season and into the finale.

Should be interesting to see how the next episodes play out considering half the team will be back in time while the rest are on Earth. I assume it’ll be a few episodes.

Overall, another great episode. Definitely excited for these two stories.